I think St. Paul gave us one of the most beautiful ways to examine our conscience when he gave us the beautiful definition of Love in the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. It’s so beautiful! It’s such a wonderful way of seeing who God is, what He wants, and who we are called to be. It helps us to know what we are not. Let me go through his definition of Love. I encourage you to incorporate it into your own personal prayer life.

“Love is kind. Love is not jealous; it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the Truth. There is no limit to Love’s forebearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure” (1 Cor 13:4-7).

Sometimes we can do really well for a week or a month but we have our limits. “Lord, this is enough. Enough is enough.” God will say, “No. Draw from My Love. You’re trying to go on your own strength and your own power again. I’m the Lord, your God. I’m the One who is pure Love. You’re limited. I am not. Draw from Me – then you can love without end, without limits, without conditions.”

St. Paul said, “Do you not know that God’s kindness, God’s love, is an invitation for you to change” (Rom 2:4). God is saying to us, “Love everyone. If you don’t find any love there, you put it there.” This is loving unconditionally. Whenever we don’t do that, we will find our sin. Paul says, “Seek eagerly after love” (1 Cor 14:1). We might say, “Lord, how do I do this?” And He says simply, “By following Me. I am Love. If you follow Me, you are obeying Me. You will be Spirit-led.”

“No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us.” (1 Jn 4:12)